Liberty Faces Setback Against Dream

ATLANTA – On Saturday morning, Liberty aimed to improve their standing in the WNBA, targeting a win against the Dream. Unfortunately, things took a turn when Sabrina Ionescu was ruled out due to a left foot injury just three hours before the game. With a limited roster of eight players, Liberty struggled to keep pace, resulting in a 78-62 defeat.

This marked Liberty’s fourth loss in five games, leaving them in fifth place—two games behind Atlanta—and tying their regular season series at 2-2. If teams end the season with the same record, the tiebreaker will be decided based on their performance against teams with a .500 record or better.

Sandy Brondello, now in her 13th season as a WNBA head coach, is navigating an unprecedented year filled with injuries for her team. Liberty hasn’t been at full strength since just the second game of the season. It seems that whenever one player returns, another is sidelined again. Emma Meesman, recently signed, has yet to play alongside stars Breanna Stewart or Nyara Sabally.

Things took another hit when Ionescu sustained a leg injury after chasing a loose ball during Thursday’s loss to the Sky. Although she stayed in the game, swelling forced her to sit out this match. New York was compelled to field its 13th different starting lineup of the season, with Breanna Stewart, Nyara Sabally, and Isabelle Harrison all unavailable.

Marine Johanne joined Natasha Cloud, Leonie Fevich, Meesman, and Jonquel Jones in the starting five. Knowing the significance of this bout, Liberty faced slim margins for error, but they quickly fell behind, trailing by double digits for most of the game. Once again, they were out-rebounded 42-33, surrendering 17 offensive rebounds to the Dream and allowing 21 second-chance points.

This season has been a rollercoaster for Liberty, reflecting the struggles of a team riddled with injuries. Sabally has missed 22 games, Stewart 13, Jones 12, and Harrison nine. Ionescu’s absence marked just her second missed game this season. Fortunately, the team considers her injury not major, and Brondello is hopeful it’s not long-term.

“We’re taking it one day at a time,” Brondello stated, keeping a cautious yet optimistic tone.

As for reinforcements, Brondello is hopeful that Stewart and Harrison could return next week, though Savally’s timeline remains uncertain, having been sidelined since the All-Star break and not yet beginning her return-to-play process.

With only seven games left in the regular season, time is running short. “We can’t afford to be hampered by injuries, and it’s frustrating not to build consistency,” Brondello added. “We know we’re a strong team at full strength, and hopefully, we can get everyone back in time for the playoffs.”